KEY THOUGHT...

“Don’t CRITICIZE Self-Righteously, but CORRECT in Humility with Mercy and Grace”

INTRO...

The verses we will be looking at today are well known...“judge not or you will be judged”

-- Our culture knows this verse and uses it against any form of criticism, judgment
-- But when said it is mostly misunderstood and misinterpreted...tolerance and the lack of absolute truth drives this understanding
-- My hope today is that we leave here today with a correct understanding of what Jesus was saying, what he was prohibiting us from doing and what he was guiding us to do

[VS 1a]
DON’T JUDGE…

-- JUDGE: What does that mean? There are lots of ways this word is used throughout the Bible, so context is the way we interpret it rightly
-- So given the context of the whole sermon…it can’t mean an absolute termination of all judgments…to do that would be to negate almost everything Jesus has just been teaching [there is a difference between disciples/scribes and pharisees in how they practice righteousness…we are to see and discern those differences, “righteousness exceeds pharisees”…that requires judgment] being salt and light, anger/murder, adultery/lust/divorce, oaths and loopholes, loving your enemies and retaliation, giving and praying and fasting, storing up treasures (earth vs heaven), anxiousness and trust, all of these require discernment, judgment, || and what he is about to teach in the next few verses [treating others in love, judging teachers and other believers by their fruit, building your life on good foundation vs bad foundation].
-- So there must be something else Jesus is talking about here.
-- “Do not judge”, the way it was written in the original language, Jesus is calling them to stop doing something that they were actively doing…so what exactly were they doing? It was clearly outside of the righteous acts He was calling them to live out || He wasn’t giving them a command to stop all forms of discerning judgment,

It would appear that Jesus is telling them to stop judgmental criticism that is...
1. self-righteous (their own blindness to sin in their own life that they so readily saw in others)
2. hyper-critical/fault finding (often being excessive in their criticism that went beyond what is necessary in calling out the sin)
3. destructive (their criticism did not edify or restore the person but instead tore them down as a form of attack). Jesus is prohibiting this type of judgment which we pass on others…not out of concern for their spiritual health and welfare…but solely to promote our own self-righteousness ||

Jesus was saying “Don’t be self-righteously hypercritical”…
1. Don’t sit as a judge over another man’s motives
2. don’t attempt to interpret the desires of his heart.

QUOTE: [MARTIN LLOYD JONES]
“The fact of the matter is that we are not really concerned about helping this other person; we are interested only in condemning him. We pretend to have this great interest; we pretend that we are very distressed at finding this blemish (in his life). But in reality, as our Lord has already shown us, we are really glad to discover it”

-- this is convicting.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
1. Are you a critical person? Hypercritical?
2. Would you be honest enough in your assessment of yourself to admit you are self righteous? That your criticism is destructive towards others?
3. Are you critical of other people, physically, intellectually, morally…do you find that you put yourself in a position of judgment over someone’s motives? Judging someones internal desires?
-- These are the things Jesus was calling out in his disciples then, and it is what he calls out in us today too. Jesus was serious about this one, he even gave a qualifying warning about how we judge others…

[VS1b-2]
GOD WILL JUDGE YOU IN THE SAME WAY YOU JUDGE OTHERS

Q: Who is going to be the judge over us?
-- I believe Jesus is talking about God’s righteous judgment on us in the end, and Jesus is saying “one day you will be judged. God will judge you in the same way and with the same measure that you judge others”
Q: So, how are we judging others? merciful? harsh, selfish, hypercritical?

[VS 3-5]
A FUNNY RIDICULOUS EXAMPLE

-- Jesus, in a beautiful and funny way, illustrates this serious command

SPECK=TWIG, LOG=BEAM
-- The Speck/twig and the Log/beam mean something…
Q: is it sin, or behaviors that need to be gone in my life before I can speak correction into someone else’s life? That could be possible, but I don’t think Jesus is saying that the twig/log are patterns of behavior (sins), || We see Jesus elude to the eye again in his illustration (as he did in 5:27-ff, eye causes you to sin). I believe that is important to understanding what the twig and beam are…one can certainly live without an eye, but their perception is reduced and in this case their ability to judge is greatly impaired.

[VS 3]

-- Jesus asks why one is able to SEE the speck in your brothers eye but NOT NOTICE the log in your own eye
-- Jesus is saying the speck/twig and log/beam is our PERCEPTION, our BLIND SPOTS, the things that IMPAIR OUR ABILITY TO JUDGE RIGHTLY
-- Again the way “Judge not” is written implies that this was an action the disciples were practicing, being hypercritical towards each other and yet ignoring their lack of perception, blind spots in their life that kept them from rightly judging their brothers. || Jesus was giving them a command to stop acting towards one another in this way

[VS 4-5]
DON’T BE HYPER-CRITICAL HYPOCRITES

-- DEAL WITH THE LOG then the SPECK!
-- Be aware of our own blind spots, Be aware of our own broken perception of things as we mercifully, gracefully, in humility, help our brothers with their perception/blind spots.

[VS 6]
BE CAREFUL WITH DOGS AND HOGS…

-- BLIND JUDGMENT AND BLIIND OPTIMISM:
Earlier Jesus addressed the blind judgment of a brother. This is a really strange way for Jesus to end this portion of his teaching… Here He speaks of dogs and hogs. Both animals are considered unclean, uncouth, and unwelcome. What Jesus has in mind are people outside the believing community and have no desire whatsoever to become part of that community.
---> “DOGS”…
Does not refer to pets but to packs of feral dogs that roamed the streets, alley ways, and outskirts of society feeding on trash and dead things. An animal that died in the field was considered unfit for human consumption but was to be left for the dogs (Ex. 22:31)
---> “WHAT IS HOLY”…
Refers to the meat sacrificed in the tabernacle/temple that was to be reserved for the priests (Ex. 29:33; Lev. 22:10)
---> “PIGS”…
Were considered unclean animals (Lev. 11:7) and thus were never kept by Israelites as livestock.
---> “PEARLS”…
Indicate something that is extremely valuable, held in higher regard than diamonds by the ancient world.

-- To give the consecrated meat to dogs is to treat it as though it were garbage.
-- To give pearls to hogs is an utter waste as they have no use for such treasure. Not only are these actions sacrilegious and stupid but are downright dangerous.

-- It doesn’t matter whether it is the dogs or the hogs that turn and tear you to pieces. The two images stand for the same people and thus we can assume that their reaction will be one and the same. Jesus’ description is quite graphic. Rather than appreciating what was given to them, these dogs and hogs will turn on the one who has offered such treasures and utterly destroy them.

BLIND JUDGMENTALISM VS BLIND OPTIMISM...

-- So how does this picture fits into the wider context of what Jesus is talking about regarding ‘judgment’. With this statement about dogs and hogs Jesus is connecting what He has already taught about judging others with blind spots.

BLIND OPTIMISM:
-- Here we have the other side of the coin. Blind optimism is just as dangerous as blind judgmentalism. Forcing kingdom righteousness upon those who have no desire to subject themselves to the King is not only a waste of time but will only end in the ruin of the one attempting to force feed them.
-- Make no mistake, SPIRITUALLY DEAD people have no desire for the mercy of God which comes through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. They abhor His mercy and grace preferring to trample it underfoot and persecuting those who preach it.
-- This doesn’t mean that we are never to preach the mercy of God in Christ to “dogs and hogs”, for that was all of us at one point! To attempt to read the minds and intentions of men is exactly the kind of judgmentalism already prohibited. However, if men reject the plain proclamation of God’s mercy in the gospel, they reveal themselves to be dogs and hogs. It is time to move on and shake the dust from your feet (Matt. 10:14).

QUESTIONS TO ASK AND PROCESS IN OUR OWN LIVES…

—> Let’s consider some questions to ask ourselves when we’re inclined to be critical:

-- What may be behind my impulse to criticize? Is it Pride, jealousy, fear? These motives can hide themselves disguised in thoughts of superior wisdom, experience, motive, and duty.

-- What am I seeking to accomplish in my criticism?

-- Do my attitudes and my words bring glory and pleasure to God?

-- In what way am I serving or encouraging the other person?

-- Do my attitudes toward this person and my words demonstrate a heart transformed by Christ and a desire to imitate Him?

-- Is it truly my role before God to become involved or share opinions in this situation? What are the biblical truths that shape that answer?

-- If I am to become involved, what role do criticism and judgement have?

-- Do I truly wish to glorify God, serve other persons, and be a witness of Christ’s transformation and healing power? Really?

-- If I believe so, to first look at the log in my own eye and admit my blind spots…what changes might He require in my attitudes, words, and behavior before I talk to my brother or sister?

KEY THOUGHT...

“Don’t CRITICIZE Self-Righteously, but CORRECT in Humility with Mercy and Grace”

PRAYER AND COMMUNION...

1. What blindspots do you need to be aware of and repent of today?

2. Are you being hypercritical of someone or something? Confess, Repent, Obey

3. Is there a situation you need to step into that requires you to point out someones blind spot? Pray pray pray for your own perception, your own blind spot, and then approach the other person with humility, mercy and grace

4. As we go to communion today, take some time to reflect on these things and then trust Jesus to do what he promises to do in healing us, helping us, guiding by his Spirit.